‘No Quit In These Guys’: Nauset Boys Soccer Resolves To Train Hard After Consecutive Shutouts

HYANNIS – A goal drought against two Cape and Islands opponents has the Nauset boys soccer team looking to bounce back after a pair of tough games last week.

Following a three-game win streak that brought the Warriors to 3-2 in the early goings came consecutive 3-0 losses: at home against Martha’s Vineyard last Thursday and at Barnstable on Saturday.

Nauset is on the younger side this year and, so far, has struggled with staying healthy, according to head coach John McCully. A lack of discipline — getting caught watching the ball — cost them on two of the goals against a talented Barnstable team, he said.

“We're a young team, still learning and still growing, and there's no quit in these guys,” McCully said. “These guys still played like warriors today.”

Barnstable put in their first score of the game 14 minutes into the first half and added a second goal three minutes before halftime. “One goal changes this game,” McCully told his Nauset side during the midway break. 

Nine minutes into the second half, a volley off a cross to the back post served as the dagger for Barnstable, which subsequently held on for the shutout. 

McCully’s number one goal as a coach, he said, is to not get shut out. But twice in a row the Warriors haven’t been able to find the back of the net. It only takes one, McCully said at halftime, and guys were going to have to keep their heads up and make plays. 

“We never gave up,” McCully said. “We never quit. We kept fighting. We were fighting for that one goal.”

Nauset’s offense thus far has been a one-two punch between top goalscorer and league All-Star senior captain Omari Perry and freshman Jacob Parkington. The team had also been missing sophomore Sawyer Harold, out for two weeks with a concussion. He was back for the match against Barnstable, a return that was certain to help Nauset in and around the goal, according to McCully. 

The 3-4 Warriors were set to visit Falmouth on Wednesday (after The Chronicle’s deadline) and Monomoy on Friday. The team took Sunday off after playing Barnstable. Then they had to train hard for two days for the two league matches, McCully said.

“Got to do a better job just defensively I think, just defending the box for the most part,” Perry said. “I think we’ve just got to finish our chances that we have too, so it's just the simple things that we’ve got to work on.”